


Variantology | 30 Day Prompt

by yagirlcheesely



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Project Obsidian's Variantology Challenge, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:02:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 10,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23531290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yagirlcheesely/pseuds/yagirlcheesely
Summary: This is a compilation of my submissions for the Variantology 30 Day prompt project birthed by Project Obsidian. This is done purely for fun as well as working on my own skills as a writer. Positive feedback is welcomed with open arms as well as constructive criticism. If there are any mistakes spotted in my work, please feel free to let me know so that adjustments can be made.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 60





	1. Table of Contents

Day 1 | Father and Son

Day 2 | Alchemy

Day 3 | Childhood

Day 4 | Lanterns

Day 5 | Sundrop

Day 6 | Ruddiger

Day 7 | Riding

Day 8 | Team Awesome

Day 9 | Fight

Day 10 | Road Trip (TBA)

Day 11 | Netherworld (TBA)

Day 12 | Goggles (TBA)

Day 13 | Villain (TBA)

Day 14 | Skills (TBA)

Day 15 | Clothing Switch (TBA)

Day 16 | Black Rocks (TBA)

Day 17 | Nightmare

Day 18 | Brotherhood (TBA)

Day 19 | Friendship (TBA)

Day 20 | Demanitus (TBA)

Day 21 | Snow Day (TBA)

Day 22 | Amber (TBA)

Day 23 | “Not again, Varian” (TBA)

Day 24 | Teenage Problems (TBA)

Day 25 | Sickness (TBA)

Day 26 | Bathing (TBA)

Day 27 | Dinner (TBA)

Day 28 | Flynn Rider (TBA)

Day 29 | Sleepy (TBA)

Day 30 | Alternate Universe (TBA)


	2. Father and Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this prompt I decided to take a look back at the episode Rapunzel's Return when Quirin is at last freed from the confines of the amber. We didn't really get the pay off with the note that we had been anticipating, and we aren't shown at all in season three the heart to heart talk that Varian and Quirin should've had. So, I decided to make it happen myself!

Watching the amber that encased his father melt away had made Varian happier than he could recall ever being in his entire life. He’d had his doubts about Rapunzel’s incantation actually working, but he had never been so elated to have his expectations subverted. Once Rapunzel’s trance-like state had been broken, and he ensured that she was alright, Varian wasted no time in rushing over to his father. Tears of joy began to well up in his eyes. His father was finally free from his amber prison, and he was still alive. It wasn’t until he was wrapped up in his father’s arms that Varian truly realized just how much he had missed his father. Seeing the amber melting was no longer the happiest moment of his life. This was.

As the father and son pulled away from one another, Varian noticed the note his father had written to him resting in the puddle beside them. “Dad, the note!” After a year of waiting, he’d longed to know what his father had intended for him to read.

But it dissolved before he could even reach out for it.

“Wha-what did it say? I need to know.”

Quirin looked past his son to see Rapunzel gazing at the two of them. He gave the princess a smile. “I don’t know what you’ve done, Your Highness, but I thank you. Though, I would like to speak with my son. Alone, please.”

“Of course,” Rapunzel agreed. She swiftly gathered her hair and left the two of them alone. There was a lot that they needed to talk about, and not just Varian informing his father of his misdeeds. This was a private family matter that Rapunzel knew better than to intrude on.

“Dad-” Varian seemed to choke on his words, unsure of how to convey to his father all the things he had done. Kidnapping the Queen of Corona. Endangering its people. Threatening to encase Queen Arianna in the same way he’d accidentally done for his father. Nearly killing Rapunzel, Arianna, and Cassandra. Being thrown in the dungeon. Overthrowing the kingdom and wiping the memories of both the King and Queen. There were far too many things to unravel and explain to his father. His father didn’t even know how much time had passed. How long he’d be trapped in the amber.

“Dad, I need to tell you-”

“Varian.” Quirin placed his hands on his son’s shoulders, interrupting his son. “I’ve kept much of my past a secret in the hopes of protecting you. As the amber was surrounding me, I realized too late that I was wrong.” Quirin closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath to steel his resolve. This was a second chance that he’d been given. If he didn’t tell his son everything now, he may never get another opportunity.

“I’m not from Corona. I was born in what is known as the Dark Kingdom. The kingdom was built to protect the moonstone, the power opposite of that of the sundrop. Back then I was a member of special knights known as the Brotherhood. We were all sworn to keep the moonstone a secret at all costs. Our King, Edmund, sent everyone away for safety from the black rocks that formed from the moonstone’s power.

“Two others belonged to the Brotherhood. Hector, a strong man that was nearly feral when it came to battle. Adira, an equally strong woman that was the second-most calm and collected of the three of us. Hector took the Great Tree as his post to fend off anyone in search of the Dark Kingdom and the moonstone. I’m not sure what happened to Adira. She and Hector had fought after King Edmund gave the order for us to leave. She set out on her own, and I haven’t seen or heard from her since.”

Varian, although still attempting to process the new information, couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “If the sundrop is the polar opposite of the moonstone, why didn’t you take it when you got to Corona? Rapunzel trekked across land and sea to reunite the two entities together.”

“Son, after witnessing firsthand the danger of the moonstone, I couldn’t be reckless. You’ve seen what can happen when we tamper with the unknown.”

Varian cast his gaze away from his father, shame filling him as he recalled what had happened. “I’m really sorry, Dad.”

“I know, Son. I know.” Quirin gently cupped his son’s face, bringing the boy’s attention back to him. The two smiled at one another, but Varian’s quickly fell from his face. He reached up and removed his father’s hand from his face, returning his gaze back to the floor beneath them.

“Dad, there’s some things I need to tell you, too. On the night you were trapped, I ran to the capital to beg Rapunzel for help. She wasn’t able to help me, and I-” Varian took a deep breath-“snapped. I was just-I was so mad at her. Mad at everyone. After the storm, everyone in Old Corona was moved to stay in the Capital. I was the only one who stayed.” Varian’s voice began to break as he remembered the loneliness and isolation. “I was all alone. Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, none of them came to check up on me. Not even once. I wasn’t so much as even a passing thought.”

Quirin wanted so much to pull his son back into his arms. It hurt to watch his son begin to cry and do nothing, but he knew he needed to allow his son to finish. He had a feeling that the worst his son had to tell him was yet to come.

“My anger festered inside me and grew into hatred. I poisoned the people of Corona with cookies I laced with a truth serum. I lied to Rapunzel, and made her commit treason. We stole Herz de Sonne’s journal for a map of the underground tunnels to sneak into the royal vault. Which is where I stole the sundrop from. Then, I transformed Ruddiger into a giant beast to distract everyone while I kidnapped the Queen. Then, I held the Queen hostage and captured both the King and Rapunzel. I put everyone in danger.” Varian took a moment to catch his breath, not looking his father in the eyes. He wasn’t prepared for the disappointment he would find in them.

“Varian-”

“I’m not done, Dad.” Varian’s throat felt like it was closing up as he forced himself to continue to speak. It was painful at this point. “I was sent away to the dungeon. The King tried to help me with therapy, but I fought against progress. After a month of this, he gave up. Locked up and alone, I had nothing to do but think. I realized just how wrong I’d been, but I’d thought I had passed a point of forgiveness. I was given a new cellmate, a Saporian named Andrew. He promised that he and his friends could help me, but only if I helped them. So, I did. We all escaped. With the memories of the King and Queen erased, there was no one to oppose us. That is, until Rapunzel returned.

“With Rapunzel back, Andrew and the other separatists pushed forward with the unfinished Quirineon.” Varian paused and looked up at his father through his hair. Quirin had an intrigued look on his face at the resemblance to his name. Varian rubbed the back of his neck. “It was a formula I was making to erase everyone’s memories, but it wasn’t finished. It exploded instead. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Not anymore. And I wasn’t going to let them use it to destroy the kingdom. I sided with Rapunzel. We beat the Saporians, and locked them back up.”  
“Son, I-”

“Then, Rapunzel used some magic incantation to free you from the amber, and here we are now,” Varian quickly said, wanting to finish before his father could say anything else. Silence hung heavy in the air around them. Now that Varian had stopped speaking, he was beginning to feel anxiety take hold.

“Varian, I’m so proud of you.”

It was as if someone had dumped a bucket full of cold water on him. To say that Varian was shocked would be an understatement. How could his father be proud of him after everything he’d just told him? He searched his father’s face for even a trace of disappointment. Nothing. There wasn’t any to be found. His father wasn’t lying to him. He really was proud. But why?

“You’ve done bad things, I can’t ignore that, but you’ve grown. You’ve learned from your mistakes and became a better person. We’ve all made choices we regret, myself included. But it’s how we choose to move forward from them, with the knowledge we gained, that shows our true character. You may not be proud of the choices you’ve made, Son, but you should be proud of the person you’ve become because of them. I know that I am.”

The tears returned in full force as Varian fell forward into his father’s arms. Quirin wrapped his arms around his son and held him. They were going to cherish one another from now on and not the time they had for granted.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too, Varian.


	3. Alchemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this submission for the prompt "Alchemy", I decided to actually take a look more at the relationship that the family as a whole had with alchemy as opposed to only Varian. I chose to do this with Quirin reflecting on a memories of his late wife, specifically one that involves alchemy as well as their fairly new born son, Varian. I am also using Kait Ritter's imagining of Varian's mother for mostly inspiration since we do not know much about her.

If years ago someone had told Quirin that he’d get married and become a father, he wouldn’t have believed them. He’d spent much of his life devoting all his time and efforts to his duties. Even when he was no longer a member of the Brotherhood he grew to be the leader of a village in Corona. Not once had he given much thought to settling down and starting a family. But that had all changed when the aptly named “crazy woman” of Old Corona had quite literally stormed into his life. Her name was Ulla, and she was a self-proclaimed woman of science. Although her work, Alchemy she called it, appeared more like magic to him. Having had enough of magic in his life, it had taken him many months to warm up to her. Not that his attempts at giving her the cold shoulder had deterred her any.

Quirin looked at the painting of his small family that hung on the wall. Ulla and Varian were without a doubt what he held most dear. It was evident on his face every day, and now immortalized in their portrait. Ulla had insisted on painting their family portrait herself. She’d even included the unnaturally colored stripe of hair on their son’s head, something that had grown to be more prominent as time passed. He can remember what had happened as if it had just been the day before.

* * *

The sun was beating down on Quirin as he tended to the fields. Ulla was in their home, tending to its needs as well as their son. Having been born only months prior, Varian did still need almost constant nurturing. The two of them were both new parents and would constantly fret over their baby boy, almost never leaving him unsupervised. Being away from his family was a struggle for Quirin. Even if he was only out in the field, not far from their home if they needed him. He paused in his work and wiped the sweat from his brow, looking in the direction of his home.

“I should check on them,” he said to himself as he began to leave the field.

When he entered, he found relief of the cooler interior of his home. His eyes searched but found no immediate sight of his wife and son. It was also quiet in the house. Very quiet. Despite Varian being a surprisingly quiet baby, Ulla was an expectantly loud woman. She often spoke in a volume above what was considered normal by most people. Especially if she was reading aloud from The Tales of Flynnegan Rider to Varian. She tended to get very into the task, changing her voice and everything, due to her own love of the books. The more he thought about it, he began to suspect that the two of them could possibly be sleeping. He turned to head to their shared room when he heard what sounded like a giggle. Which, if it was coming from the direction that he thought it was, Quirin did not like that.

Turning around, he quickly walked to Ulla’s laboratory only to be met with a shut door. He attempted to open it only to find that the door appeared to be locked. Why would Ulla lock the door? Did she not trust him? “Ulla? Are you in there? Is Varian with you?” His calls were only met with silence. Frustration set in. He raised a fist and began to knock on the door, beginning to call out to his wife once more. The door opened abruptly, his fist hovering dangerously close to his wife’s face.

“Sorry, Sweetie, I couldn’t hear you. I was, uh, working.”

“You’ve been careful with the alchemy, right?”

“Oh, yes, yes. Safety first.”

“Good. Is Varian with you?”

“Of course he is. What kind of mother do you take me for?”

“Varian is in here with you? While you’re working? With chemicals?”

“That’s what I said-Hey!”

Quirin pushed past his wife and into the room. He looked around for their son, relieved to see the boy safe. Ulla had stormed around to face him and began jabbing her finger in his chest. “I told you that I have been careful. Safety first. Do you really believe that I would meddle with dangerous chemicals while in the same room as our newly born son?” Shame flashed in Quirin’s eyes as he looked down at his wife. He’d opened his mouth to apologize when a minor explosion caught the attention of both of them.

The two of them whipped their heads to look over to see what had happened. Varian was holding a now empty test tube, giggling. He was covered head to toe in a wash of colors, but overall seemed unharmed. Quirin and Ulla both rushed over to their baby boy and took him into their arms, careful to take the glass tube from his grasp.

“You said you’ve been careful. If that were the case how did this happen?”

“I locked away all the hazardous chemicals to prevent something like this from happening, Quirin! I made sure that everything I left out was perfectly safe. He just needs a bath now is all.”

“Something like this can’t happen again, Ulla.”

“If Varian is never exposed to Science, how is he going to learn?”

“He is a baby! He can’t even talk, yet!”

Seeing his parents upset caused Varian to start crying. The two of them stopped fighting instantly, instead turning to comfort their son. Quirin silently looked at his wife and son. Perhaps he had overreacted just a tad. “Ulla, I know you want to teach our son, but can you at least wait a couple more years?” She seemed hesitant, but agreed with him nonetheless. “Alright, I’ve got to return to the field. I love you, both of you.” With that, he left his wife and child, heading back outside.

“Alright, Varian, it’s bath time. Oh, don’t you give me that look.”

Little did either of them know that no amount of scrubbing was going to remove all of the color that had attached itself to their son. Some of it was going to stick around for many years to come. It was going to be something questioned by many. A question that the two of them truly wouldn’t have an answer for. None except for alchemy.

* * *

The all too familiar sound of an explosion brought Quirin out of his thoughts. He looked in the direction of Varian’s lab. The same lab that had once belonged to Ulla. Despite the worry he felt, there was a small smile that grew on his lips. Varian was revealing to be more and more like his mother with each passing day. It concerned Quirin, but also made him happy. His son was the only thing, aside from a portrait, he had left to remind him of his late wife. Despite the years that had come to pass, he still missed her dearly.

“Varian,” he called out as he began to approach the lab. “Son, are you okay in there?”

“Yes, Dad! Yes, yes! I just dropped a book!”

Quirin paused in his approach before hearing another, more muffled explosion.

“One of my-one of my big b-books.”


	4. Childhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this prompt I decided to take a look as to what happens while Varian is very clearly shown without adult supervision during the episode No Time Like the Past.

Quirin was still adjusting to the life of a single father. He’d had thought that his wife would be by his side for the rest of his own life. Not the rest of her own. Having believed that he’d never have to face the hardships of raising their only song alone, he hadn’t been prepared. Now he was tasked with single handedly raising his son as well as taking care of Old Corona. It was a lot for one man to handle, but Quirin was a stubborn man. Fortunately for him, Xavier, a blacksmith and good friend, was more than willing to keep an eye on Varian for him as he saw the King. Children have no place in court, after all.

“And you’re sure that this isn’t an inconvenience, Xavier?”

“I am utmost certain, Quirin, my dear friend. Today has been especially slow.”

“As long as you’re sure-”

“It reminds me of the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare. You see-”

“I must meet with the King. Why don’t you tell your story to Varian?”

Xavier nodded in understanding, allowing the village leader of Old Corona to depart. He was just about to set his sights on young Varian when he received a customer. Two, in fact. “Ah, Stan and Pete. What is it I can do for you today?”

“Maximus has been frantically running around the capital,” started Stan.

“At the rate that he’s going, he’s going to get cracks in his hooves,” added Pete.

“That would be a problem for him as he does want to be a horse for the royal guard.” Xavier rubbed his chin. Varian sat forgotten in the corner, going unnoticed by the two new adults. “I can get started on a pair of custom horseshoes for him. He is still young and growing, but he will need something to protect his hooves from all this activity. Do you think that the two of you could bring Maximus by later today?”

As the three adults were conversing, Varian slipped out of Xavier’s smithy.

“That should be no problem for us. Right, Pete?”

“Right, Stan. Let’s go look for him right now.”

“Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the Tortoise and the Hare.”

Xavier continued to drone on as he worked, ignorant to the fact that the young boy left in his care was long gone.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Varian was lost in the capital. He’d missed his father and only wanted to find him. All he’d known was that his dad was going to the castle. From a distance it was easy to see where the castle stood in the capital. But now that Varian was in the capital? He had no idea where he was supposed to go. The castle was the tallest structure in the entire kingdom, but he couldn’t see much past all the other buildings as well as the people. And there were a lot of people.

Being surrounded by strangers, he felt alone and a little scared. He walked closer to the buildings so as to not get pushed around. The last thing he wanted was to get stepped on. Then, an older man caught his eye in a nearby window. Big, but not as big as his father was, or in the same way, and kind looking. Varian noticed that it was a sweets shop. He pressed his hands up against the glass and looked at the candy. Upon noticing that the man was looking at him, he ducked down. Suddenly, Varian heard the sound of a bell ringing near him. He didn’t know that it meant the door to the shop opened until he glanced over. Standing there was the man he’d seen inside.

“I haven’t seen you around before, and I know everybody,” the man said with a smile as big as the gray mustache on his face. Varian was cautious, recalling that his father had told him to be wary of strangers, but this man seemed nice. “I’m Monty, and this is my shop. You can just call me Uncle Monty. Everyone does.” Varian nodded and stood up, getting closer to Uncle Monty. “What’s your name, young man?”

“I’m Varian.”

“Well, I’m glad to meet you, Varian. How would you like a lollipop?”

Varian watched as Uncle Monty pulled out a lollipop that he’d been holding behind his back. It was very rare that he’d been able to enjoy sugary treats. His mother had been the one that liked to bake, not his dad. Just thinking about the cookies she used to make made him begin to miss her. Tears pricked at his eyes as he nodded, trying not to start crying in front of the nice man he’d just met. Uncle Monty held the lollipop out for him to take. And he did.

Soon after Uncle Monty returned to the inside of his shop, leaving Varian alone again. He looked at the amber colored lollipop. The somber look he gave it didn’t seem to belong on his young face. Varian turned to continue walking in a random direction when he collided with a wall. Except, it wasn’t a wall.

“Well, what do we have here? A little brat that doesn’t know how to watch where he’s going,” a gruff voice sounded out from above him. Varian looked up to see two tall teenage boys. One wore an eyepatch, the other a headband, and both with long red hair. He opened his mouth to say something, but one of them took the lollipop from his hand. “I’ll just be taking that as an apology.”

“But that’s mine,” Varian attempted to object.

“Well, now it’s mine.”

Before Varian could argue further, two more, slightly shorter, teenage boys came over. “Burnsy, you guys can’t just wander off without the two of us. This is  _ our _ job. As in, the four of us! You two are supposed to keep watch while Lance and I-Where’d you get the lollipop from?” The pitchy sounding teenage boy gestured to the lollipop that the other boy, “Burnsy” as he’d called him, was holding.

The other teenager that had walked up chimed in. “Yeah, did you take that from Uncle Monty’s? We’re supposed to be thieves and all, but it just don’t feel right taking from that sweet old man.”

“He took it from me,” Varian called out, making his presence known. He glared up at the four teenagers. His attempt at being intimidating falling flat due to his short stature. That, and one of them began to gush over how “cute” he was almost immediately.

“Oh, look at how cute this little guy is.”

“Lance, we really don’t have time for this. Wait, Burnsy, you stole candy? From a baby?” The teenage boy’s voice cracked as it went higher in his disbelief.

“Now that ain’t right,” Lance said, admonishing the other two.

“I’m not a baby,” Varian insisted.

“Give the kid back his candy, Burnsie.”

“You gonna make me, Rider,” the taller boy asked tauntingly.

Rider sighed as he looked up at the two taller teenagers. “If you give the kid back his lollipop, I’ll give you a portion of my cut. All of it even.” Burnsy seemed to like hearing that. He tossed the lollipop out for Rider to clumsily catch while they turned away.

“Alright, Rider, I’ll take your word this once. But remember, it’s-”

“Every man for himself. Yeah, got it.”

The two boys turned and left, leaving Varian with Lance and Rider. Rider reached out and handed Varian his lollipop back. “Here ya go, Kid.”

“Thanks-”

“Rider, Flynn Rider.”

Varian’s eyes widened as he recognized the name. It was the same name as the adventurer in the books that his mother used to read him. When she was still around. “Come on, Flynn. We gotta catch up to em’!”

“Oh, right! You should watch where you’re going-”

“Varian!”

“Right, Varian. You should watch where you’re going next time. Not everyone is as nice as me and Lance, here. Alright?”

Lance and Flynn turned and ran after their companions. Varian was once again by himself, but he was left in a better mood than he had been before. Sure, he still was lost. And missing his father. And his mother. But he’d just met his hero. A man that, until today, he’d thought might’ve not really existed. That was enough to lift his spirits. Even if only for a little while.

* * *

Varian had managed to, after what felt like forever, reach a familiar part of the capital. He wasn’t far from the shop that his father had left him in with Xavier. As he continued forward, he saw a barred wagon up ahead. There was a clanging sound that seemed to be coming from it. As he approached, the small smile on his face fell as he recognized the two that were locked up in the wagon. It was the same two teenagers that had tried to steal his lollipop earlier just for bumping into them.

The clanging stopped as the one banging their head on the bars ceased. There was a familiarity in the boy’s eyes as he looked at Varian, but seemingly not from the events that had transpired earlier. Varian just decided to keep walking, content to enjoy his lollipop. He could see the smithy coming up. The closer he got the more he realized that he’d wandered off. He hoped that he wasn’t going to be in trouble. As he reached the smithy he could hear Xavier talking. Almost as if he had never left.

“And you see, young Varian, the Hare learned an important lesson that day. Slow and steady wins the race. You must take your time. Good things come to those who wait Which reminds me of a legend-”

Varian smiled as he sat down, licking his lollipop ready to listen to Xavier as he waited for his father to return. But he didn’t have to wait.

“Alright, Xavier, I’m here for my son. I hope you didn’t have any trouble.”

“Trouble? I hardly even noticed that he was here.”


	5. Lanterns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for day four of Variantology, and it is late. But anyway, here it is.
> 
> Four times Varian watched the lanterns with his father, and one time he didn't.

Varian could recall the first time he saw the lanterns. He had stayed up late, against his father’s wishes. Looking out his window, he was gazing longingly up at the stars. The loss of his mother was still fresh on his mind. There were some of the villagers that told him that loved ones that left this world were transported to another in the heavens. They hadn’t explained it very well. This left Varian to believe that they became stars when they left. So, he was looking up at the stars, hoping that his mother was looking back down on him in kind.

It was then that he saw a light approaching from behind the orchard. He curiously turned his attention to the growing light. As it got closer, he recognized what he believed was lanterns. Although, he’d never seen one float through the air before. He’d never seen such a sight. They were just as beautiful as the stars, but in a different way. Seeing the lanterns made him feel … warm.

The door to his room creaked as it opened. Varian turned around to see his father standing there. He shrank in on himself, believing he was going to be in trouble. His father had told him to go to bed, but he didn’t. “Varian, I thought I told y-” Quirin had started to berate his son for not listening, but then the lanterns in the sky outside caught his attention. Varian had been looking at the floor, so it surprised him when he felt his father’s hands on his shoulders. Quirin picked his son up, turning him so he faced the window. “They’re beautiful. Aren’t they,” he asked, smiling at the look of wonder on Varian’s face. He watched as his son only nodded.

A year later, the lanterns were to be released again. This time, Quirin had opted to take his son to see them at the capital. He’d also taken the time to explain to his son what they were for. “They’re for the lost princess. Every year, we release the lanterns on her birthday in hopes that they’ll guide her home.” Varian seemed to understand, but there was something about the look on his son’s face. There was a question he wanted to ask, but he remained silent. “How would you like to make your own lantern to release next year?” The look disappeared and was replaced with excitement once more.

“Really? And you’ll do it with me? You promise?!”

“I promise.”

Next year came, and Varian did get to make his own lantern. This time they weren’t able to go to the capital to release it, though. That was fine with Varian. As long as he still got to see the lanterns with his father, he was happy. But as the sky began to grow dark, someone came knocking on their door. Quirin opened the door to find one of the villagers. It was Mrs. Alma Chamnes, an old woman that supported them after the loss of Quirin’s wife. Varian stood behind his father, hiding his cheeks with the lantern he’d made as he watched the two adults. “Mrs. Chamnes? Wha-”

“Oh, Quirin! It’s dreadful, absolutely dreadful!”

“Mrs. Chamnes-”

“My sweet Edgar! He’s fallen into the well!”

As leader of Old Corona, Quirin had been met with many odd problems and inquiries to solve. But in all his years he’d never once heard of someone actually falling into a well. Well, there was a first for everything. “Take me to him, Mrs. Chamnes. Varian, you stay here where it’s safe. Alright?”

Varian wanted to object to that. He wanted to object to all of it. His father had promised last year that they’d spend the night together. He’d promised. “Alright, Dad.” But he knew that this was more important than his lantern. Once the two adults were out of sight, he sprinted to his room, leaving the lantern on the floor by the door. Varian dove under the covers of his bed and lied there. It felt like hours had passed as he cried, but it had really only been several minutes. Feeling suffocated by the warm air, he threw the cover from him. He sat up, sniffling and wiping his eyes.

From his spot on his bed, he could see the lanterns as they began to float passed his window. He looked at them in sadness. There wasn’t much time he got to spend with his father. So, he looked forward to what little he did get. The lantern festival had seemed like it would be the one day he got to see his father without anything getting in the way. That the day of the festival was  _ their _ day. Apparently he was wrong.

The front door of their home opened to reveal Quirin returning. Mr. Chamnes had been fine. It had turned out that he had taken it upon himself to dig a well for Old Corona. In the dark. Well, Edgar Chamnes had always been a strange old man. Thankfully, he hadn’t managed to dig very deep when he’d stopped and sprained his ankle trying to crawl out. Mrs. Chamnes had blown everything far out of proportion.

“Varian,” Quirin called out as he looked around for his son. He’d told his son to stay inside, and the boy was good at following directions. Most of the time. Yet, he was nowhere to be seen. While taking a step forward, he felt himself kick something. Looking down, he saw a paper lantern rolling away from him. Quirin stepped over and knelt to pick it up. Turning it over in his hands, he could see the imperfections in the frame as well as the crude drawings. This was the lantern that Varian had made.

And yet … Why was it on the floor?

Making his way up, he began to hear sniffling the closer he got to his son’s room. He reached the door and hesitated. Raising his hand, he gently knocked on the door. “Varian?” There were shuffling sounds on the other side of the door. He faintly heard his son call on the other side for him to enter. Opening the door, he noticed immediately the redness in Varian’s eyes and cheeks.

“H-how’s M-Mr. Shamnes?”

“Mr. Chamnes is fine,” Quirin answered as he sat down on his son’s bed. He let the lantern rest in his lap as he looked at his son. Not really knowing how to comfort his son, he began to talk about the lantern. “This is some fine work here,” he complimented, gesturing to the paper lantern in his lap.

“Thanks, Dad. I made it for Mom.”

Quirin felt his heart stop in his chest as he looked at his son. He could feel his own eyes begin to water, but he blinked the tears away. A father had to be strong for his son. “She’d love it, but-” Quirin held the lantern out to his son-“she’d love seeing it in the sky even more.” Varian took the lantern in his hands and smiled at his father.

The father and son weren’t able to watch all the lanterns together that year, but they did get to watch the most important one.

Many years passed by similarly. Quirin and Varian spent the festival together in Old Corona. The sun would set and they’d each release a lantern once the others reached their village. It wasn’t much, but they were happy with it. Though, one year Quirin decided to take his son to the capital just as he had done all those years ago. There had been some changes to the day over the years. Despite the origin, it had turned into a day of celebration. The people of Corona, though still longing for their lost princess, were all sure she’d rather return to a kingdom that is happy and jovial.

“We’re going to the capital? Why?”

“This year just feels different, Son.”

Quirin had been right. That year, the lost princess had returned to Corona. Not that the two of them had known until days after the fact. While the day was special for others, it was just the same for the small family as it had always been. Varian got to spend time with his father. And that was special enough to him.

But now, looking up at the lanterns as they floated across the sky, Varian was feeling small and alone. The chains felt heavy on his wrists as he raised them to grasp the bars of the wagon. Tears born of anger and frustration poured down his face. He’d wanted to free his father. Why was that so wrong? If they had just listened to him in the first place, maybe he’d be watching the lanterns with his father like he used to do. He watched as Old Corona shrank in the distance. The lanterns and his home moving further and further out of his reach.


	6. Sundrop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My submission for Sundrop. It's late and more of a drabble, but it's here.

The dried up flower was nestled carefully in his hands. Just one wrong move and the flower would crumble in his grasp. Varian’s only hope at freeing his father would be dust in the wind. Despite the resolve that had brought him thus far, he found himself having doubts. For a flower that was supposed to be the legendary sundrop, it looked lifeless. Footsteps thundering against the cobbled roads pulled Varian from his thoughts. He hid in the shadows of a nearby alley. Entering the capital had been much easier than leaving. Before the Coronans had avoided any interaction with him, but now he was actively being sought out. All he had to do was cross the bridge without getting caught, and both he and his father would be free.

“When I get my hands on that kid-” A feminine voice trailed off angrily. He recognized it. Cassie. No, Cassandra. Varian listened as her footsteps faded off in another direction. He took this as his opportunity and bolted for the bridge. There was only one other time he could recall running so quickly. This time, he didn’t have any snow to slow him down. As he broke through the tree line, he nearly fell to his knees as he caught his breath. But he couldn’t rest for long. His eyes turned to the flower in his hold once more. Standing straight, he looked back at the capital. Guilt and regret flashed in his eyes, but only for a moment. He’d already asked for help and was thrown to the side. This was the only way. No other path existed for him to take.

“Just wait a little longer, Dad,” he said. He tore his gaze away from the capital to look in the opposite direction. Fueled by determination, he started forward once again.

“I’m going to set you free

Then maybe, just maybe

You’ll be proud of me

And When I’m done they will all see

That I’m not the villain I appear to be”


	7. Ruddiger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the oneshot for the Ruddiger prompt. This one is also late, but here ya go.

“Alright, Ruddiger, I think I’ve got the composition  _ just right _ . Duplicating the potion wasn’t very hard, but the modification portion has been … less than productive.”

Varian had been at this for a couple days now. Sure, he was a certifiable child genius. However, he was having to run each test himself to make proper adjustments. The boy was his own guinea pig. He was trying to modify the mood potion into a truth serum. Between himself and Ruddiger, he was the only one that could even talk. Besides, he’d already lost someone dear to him from his experiments. If he’d also lost Ruddiger … Well, Varian wasn’t sure what he would do at that point.

“I’ll have to wait and run the test tomorrow, though. I already tested one today, and I’m not sure my stomach can handle another.”

Ruddiger chittered at him, making Varian smile. He could tell that his friend was worried about him. At least someone was. Varian took a glance out the window and noticed how dark it was. He’d quite literally worked the day away. Upon discovering that it was night, he realized how tired he actually felt. “Alright, Buddy, it’s time for bed.” Varian pet Ruddiger on the top of his head before exiting his lab, not noticing that the raccoon didn’t follow after him.

Alone in the lab, Ruddiger turned his attention to the latest product of Varian’s modification attempts. He didn’t like watching the young boy suscept himself to these tests. They were dangerous, and there wasn’t much that a raccoon could do if something were to go wrong. Ruddiger narrowed his eyes at the beaker, growling at it as he approached. He wasn’t about to sit back and let Varian risk harming himself anymore. His attempts to pick up the beaker were unsuccessful. It was too full for him to lift without spilling it everywhere. There was a nearby empty test tube that caught his eye. Rubbing his paws together, he hurried to fetch it.

With the unknown liquid now in the tube, Ruddiger was hesitating in bringing it to his mouth. It had an eerie and unnatural glow to it. He had no idea what it was going to do to him. But he didn’t know what it would do to Varian either. Closing his eyes, he quickly downed the concoction before he could change his mind. The flavor was terrible. Ruddiger immediately began to wipe his tongue in an attempt to rub off the horrible taste he’d subjected himself to.

Aside from the disgusting presence in his mouth, Ruddiger didn’t feel any different than he normally did. He scratched his head, chittering in confusion. Shrugging his shoulders, he hopped down from the table to make his way to Varian’s room. As he headed up the stairs, he noticed that the passage felt … tight. Just as he saw Varian’s bedroom door within reach, it felt as if he’d gotten stuck. Well, that wasn’t right. He planted his front paws on the ground and pushed himself forward. Due to the added force, once he was free he flew forward into the closed door. Only, when he hit the door, it fell into Varian’s bedroom.

Ruddiger looked at Varian, both surprised, and not, that the boy was still asleep. He’d likely passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Still unaware of the changes, Ruddiger attempted to enter the room, only to find that he wasn’t fitting through the doorway. Confused, he looked down at himself. Now in a panic, he began to touch all over his face and body. His chitters sounded more like growls. He didn’t want to know what his actual growls sounded like. This needed to be fixed. Varian could fix this.

Right?

Carefully, Ruddiger fit himself through the doorway. The door creaked under his weight. He picked it up and attempted to put it back in its proper place. But it fell through to the other side of the door way. Grumbling, Ruddiger turned back around only to find Varian was awake. And sitting up in his bed. Looking at Ruddiger in horror. Ruddiger raised up a paw and waved at the young boy. Varian responded by screaming.

Ruddiger hunched down to the floor, attempting to make himself appear as small as possible. Given his new size, that wasn’t an easy feat. He looked at Varian and began to whimper, not happy that he’d scared him. Seeing what looked like a large beast practically cowering in his floor caused Varian to reevaluate the situation. The boy cautiously climbed from his bed and approached the large creature. He slowly reached out his hand, being met with what appeared to be happy grumbling. That is, if the large wagging tail was a good indicator. Getting a better look, Varian recognized that round nose. “Ruddiger,” he asked, unsure but hopeful.

Varian found himself swept up into the arms of his best friend. He chuckled nervously, still not sure what to make of everything. The small raccoon he’d grown to love had turned into a beast. Now, he was the small one. Suddenly, Varian didn’t feel the arms around him anymore. Ruddiger had returned to his normal self. But they were both in the air. They both fell to the floor. Varian rubbed the back of his head. Why did it always have to be the back of his head? He felt Ruddiger pounce on his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. “I’m glad you’re okay, Buddy, but what did you get into?” There wasn’t anything in his lab that would produce such results. Unless … Ruddiger had gotten into his latest attempt at the truth serum. He sighed.

“I’ll let it go just this once, but don’t ever do something like that again. Okay? I don’t want anything to happen to you, too.”


	8. Riding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These submissions are gonna probably continue to be late. Anyway, here is Day Seven: Riding!

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Rapunzel?”

“Don’t worry, Varian. Fidella will take good care of you!”

If those words were supposed to put Varian at ease … they didn’t. Varian had made many mistakes in his life. He’d never thought that telling Rapunzel that he’d never ridden a horse would be one of them. His nervous gaze flicked from Rapunzel to Fidella and back. Rapunzel motioned for him to mount the mare. Varian turned around and faced the horse. The very same horse that was much bigger than him. “Okay, Varian, you got this. You got this.” Whispering a pep talk to himself did little to calm his nerves. Unnoticed by him, Rapunzel pulled out her journal and added two tally marks to a new page before climbing onto Maximus.

Varian was struggling to pull himself up to the saddle, unsure of how he was really supposed to be doing it. “You’re smart. You can figure this out,” he muttered before finally finding himself on the saddle. Only, he was lying over it as opposed to sitting. That wasn’t right, and he knew it. To make matters worse, he could hear Maximus laughing at him, and Rapunzel struggling not to.

“Varian, do you-do you need some help?”

“No, I can do it!”

Could he, though? Varian truly believed that he could do anything if he tried. Well, almost anything. He was starting to think that maybe horseback riding would be one of those exceptions. Varian should his head. No! He could do this! He  _ would _ do this! After a little bit of struggling, Varian found himself sitting upright like he was supposed to. Rapunzel clapped her hands briefly in a small celebration at his accomplishment. “Good job, Varian. Now, gently take the reins.” Varian did as he was instructed. He looked over to Rapunzel for more instruction.

“Do you remember how I told you to stop?”

“Gently pull back on the reins, alternating tightening and releasing the pressure?”

“You got it! Now, how do you get her to start walking?”

Varian had to wrack his brain for a moment to recall that one. “I, uh, keep a loose hold on the reins, and give a gentle squeeze with my legs?”

“That’s right! But remember to keep your legs relaxed once she’s walking.”

Nodding, Varian situated himself, making sure he was in a comfortable position. While he was busy with that, Rapunzel and Maximus took off walking. Fidella whinnied at him to get his attention. He looked at her to see her jerking her head ahead of them. His eyes looked ahead to see Rapunzel and Maximus walking away. Varian fumbled slightly, almost forgetting what he and Rapunzel had just reviewed. With a bit of a bumpy start, they were off. Although, they were still quite a bit ahead.

“Uh, Fidella? Could we move faster, please?” He’d felt a bit awkward making the request, having forgotten the cues that Rapunzel had told him. Fidella picked up her pace to a trot, jostling Varian from the suddenness of it. Soon, they caught up to the other two … and then passed them. Varian glanced back over his shoulder. He turned, about to talk to Fidella again, when he saw a white and purple blur practically fly by them. “Was that-” Without any prompting, Fidella shot forward, catching Varian by surprise.

Varian felt himself nearly fall off Fidella’s back. He’d gripped the saddle horn, not wanting to tug on the reins as he righted himself. The reins smacked him in the face before he could get them in his grasp again. He and Fidella were quickly approaching their friends. As they got closer, Varian could hear Rapunzel’s laughter. It was infectious, and shortly after he began laughing along with her.

“Isn’t this so much fun?!”

And it really was.


	9. Team Awesome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is for Day Eight: Team Awesome! Late and also short.

After being kidnapped, poisoned, and dropped from a tower, Varian wasn’t holding up so well. In that, he’d thrown himself head first into working. Cassandra hadn’t listened to him. If he was being honest, he hadn’t entirely expected her to. He could remember vividly the mindset that he had been in himself. Given what he knew, they needed to take the proper precautions. There wasn’t anything that could stop the black rocks. Except for one thing.

“Hey, Varian. How’re you holding-” Eugene had decided to check in on the young alchemist since no one had seen him what had happened at the tower. There hadn’t been anything in particular that he’d been expecting, but he especially hadn’t expected to see the boy surrounded by papers. Lots and lots of papers. “Uh, what is all this?”

“Project Obsidian,” Varian responded, not even sparing Eugene a look.

“Project Ob-what now?”

“Obsidian. I’m designing a weapon that, in theory, can stop Cassandra.”

Oh. Well, that certainly caught Eugene’s attention. He could understand how Varian felt. Cassandra had been someone they both held dear. Neither of them truly wanted to fight her. However, for the safety of Corona, they didn’t have a choice. Eugene moved closer to look at Varian’s work. He was more a man of action than a man of science, but even he could recognize the formula that Varian had used to save the kingdom from the red rocks. The very same formula that had once encased Quirin in amber. “Anything I can do to help?”

Varian paused in his work, giving Eugene his attention. “Put on some goggles. I’ve got some spares lying around.” Eugene smiled and began to scour the room, finding a pair buried underneath some papers. He held them up in triumph before returning to Varian. “Eugene, you have to actually put them on.”

“Of course, of course. I knew that.” Eugene put on the goggles. He pulled them down over his eyes, accidentally pulling them a bit too far away from his face. He did realize this when he let them go. “Ow!” Varian snickered at the older man. “Laugh it up, Kid. So, what’re we working with?”

“Well, my idea is-wait. You really want to help?”

“Of course! Team Awesome, right?”

“Right. Team Awesome!”


	10. Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my submission for Day 9: Fight. I did warn that these would all likely continue to be late.
> 
> I decided to take a play-fight approach with the prompt. For anyone who knows about the Seven Kingdoms AU, I decided to include a reference to that.

_ Flynn Rider had his back to the wall as the Duchess cackled before him, her sword held out in an unspoken threat. She’d felt that she had the upper hand, but she’d forgotten just who she was dealing with. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a suit of armor. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a scabbard with a sword sheathed on the armor’s hip. Fortunately for Flynn, the armor was closer to him than the Duchess. Seemingly in surrender, he raised both his arms up. “You’ve got me, Donella,” he said in his usual, lighthearted tone. Slowly, he took steps closer to the suit of armor. The Duchess moved in kind, not wanting to take her eyes off him. With her eyes locked on him, she failed to see where he was going. _

_ “I’m glad you’ve taken the easy way this time, Rider. Saves us both a lot of trouble. Now, return to me my jewels, and I might just spare your life.” _

_ Instead of responding, he only smirked. This aroused suspicion in the Duchess. For a man that had his life on the line, he seemed idiotically carefree. “Wipe that smug look of your fa-” Before she could finish, Flynn Rider reached behind him and unsheathed the sword, no longer an unarmed man. Duchess Donella took a step back, surprise visibly clear on her face. Flynn Rider’s smirk grew as he playfully tossed the sword from one hand to the other, mocking the woman before him. Ever the prideful woman, the Duchess snapped, lunging forward at Flynn Rider. _

_ Swords clashed. Sparks flew. The two adversaries fought both physically as well as verbally. Flynn Rider never was one to keep his mouth shut. “Why, Duchess, you almost fight as well as a man!” _

_ “I could say the same for you, Rider! I’ll have your head mounted above my fireplace when I’m through with you!” _

_ “I’m flattered, but I rather like having it mounted above my shoulders.” _

_ “No man has ever bested The Flynn Rider, but I am no man!” _

_ “You’re certainly no wo-” _

Varian was pulled from his fantasy upon backing into a solid mass. If it weren’t for the breath fanning the back of his neck, he’d thought it to be a wall. Luck wasn’t on his side, it seemed. Slowly, Varian turned his head to look over his shoulder. Behind him stood Maximus, horse of the royal guard. Instantly, his shoulders relaxed some. If it had been Eugene he would have been mortified. Not only was he the “Most Trusted Royal Engineer”, he was also a teenager. Most thought he was too old to still be playing pretend. Because of this he’d learned to keep it secret. Only, it couldn’t really be considered secret anymore.

“Oh, hi, Maximus,” he said as he faced the horse, now attempting to hide the wooden sword behind his back. Maximus seemed excited about something, now that Varian was able to look at him better. He watched as the horse turned around for a moment. When Maximus turned back around, Varian immediately caught sight of a familiar object in his mouth. It was a wooden sword. Just like the one that he held in his own hands. Maximus backed up from Varian, taking on an aggressive stance. Why? Varian’s attention snapped from Maximus to the sword. What was Maximus doing with a wooden sword in his mouth? After a moment, it dawned on him.

“Do you-” Varian pulled the wooden sword from behind him-”wanna join me?”

That question got an immediate answer. Maximus nodded vigorously at Varian, who smiled in return. His smile only grew as he too got into stance. Granted, his form was off, but this was purely for fun. Without any hesitation, Maximus jolted toward him, bringing his own weapon down to clash with Varian’s. “Well, if it isn’t Donella’s most trusted steed, Hugo! Where is your mistress?” Maximus seemed to be confused for a moment before catching on. He realized that it was a game and started to play along. Despite having a strong sense of justice, he was fine with playing the bad guy. Well, as long as it was only pretend. Varian watched as “Hugo” shook his head, refusing to answer.

Varian and Maximus continued on like that. After a little while, they abandoned the game of pretend and began to just play fight as themselves. More often than not, Maximus came out the winner. Okay, every time. But regardless, Varian found himself having fun. It was nice to have someone to actually play with. In the end, Varian was out of breath while Maximus seemed unbothered by all the physical activity. Then again, he was a literal horse. Varian was hunched forward, hands on his knees. “Ya know, you’re just as good as Eugene said. If you were holding back, I don’t see it. Do ya think-Oh boy-Do ya think maybe you could teach me for real?” Varian looked up with hopeful eyes. Maximus seemed to think about the request but soon nodded.

Things hadn’t gone how Varian had originally planned, but he was okay with that.


	11. Roadtrip (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is TBA

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	12. Netherworld (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBA

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	13. Goggles (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBA

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	14. Villain (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBA

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	15. Skills (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBA

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	16. Clothing Switch (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBA

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	17. Black Rocks (TBA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBA

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	18. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Submission for Day 17: Nightmare. In this, Varian has a nightmare. Creative, I know.

_ “Varian!” _

“Rapunzel?”

_ “You don’t have to do this, Varian!” _

_ “There has to be another way.” _

_ “There is no other way!” _

“You’re wrong.”

_ “Varian, please reconsider.” _

“Queen Arianna?”

_ “Quiet! You had plenty of time to help me!” _

“No. Stop.”

_ “This is all your fault!” _

Varian shot up from his bed. He gasped for air as his eyes glanced around. The moon still loomed in the sky above, and he was alone in his room. As his breathing evened out, he took notice of a wetness on his face. Touching his cheek, he found it to be a combination of sweat and tears. Varian carefully crept out of bed, the cold tile chilling his bare feet. He was heading for the door when something made him stop.

There was laughter in the room. He could recognize it anywhere. It was his own laugh, after all. But he wasn’t the source. Scanning the room, Varian attempted to locate just where it was coming from. The cackling came to a dead stop when his eyes locked on an object in the corner. Due to a white sheet, it was obscured from his view. Hesitantly, he made his way over. Curiosity was getting the better of him. There was a small voice in the back of his mind, telling him to leave it alone, but it all fell on deaf ears.

The sheet felt soft to the touch as he bunched it up in his fist. With one good tug, it fell to the floor. Varian wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been what he got. In front of him was a reflection of himself. There was a mirror in his room, and he couldn’t recall as to how it got there. It certainly hadn’t been present when he’d first moved into the castle. The framework was ornate. It blended in seamlessly with the other furnishings of the room.

Although, there was something strange about it. Varian wasn’t smiling, but his reflection was. “I must be seeing things. It’s dark.” He made excuses, looking away from the mirror. “These nightmares have been killing me. I look awful.” Varian chuckled, attempting to use humor to cure his unease.

“Is that any way to talk to yourself?”

Varian’s blood ran cold. That was his voice, but he hadn’t spoken. Turning his head, he stared at his reflection once more. His lack of sleep had to be getting to him. This was nothing more than a hallucination. He was hearing and seeing things that weren’t there. It was the only logical answer.

“You can try and use reason all night, but I’ll still be here.”

There it was again. Fear gripped into him as he looked himself in the eyes. “What are you?” Despite having asked, Varian was unsure if he really wanted to know. The way that his reflection looked at him, the smile, it was all unsettling.

“I’m you, of course.”

“Wha-there’s no way that you’re me. I’m me.”

“And we’re supposed to be smart. Look, you're you, you’re me, and I’m you. We’re two halves of one whole. Only, you shut me out. We were working so well together until  _ Rapunzel _ went and ruined it. It’s  _ all her fault _ .”

Varian had never thought he’d hear those words come from his own lips ever again. He shook his head. “No. You’re not me. You were  _ never _ me. I’m not going down that road again. Ever again.”

“Fine by me. I don’t need you anymore.”

Confusion filled Varian as he looked at his reflection. What did he mean by that? Before he could question it anymore, he caught movement coming from the mirror. Varian could feel his blood run cold as he watched his reflection pull itself out of the mirror. “No! This isn’t happening! This is a dream!” He nearly tripped as he backed away from himself. The eyes that bore into his own seemed to hold an unnatural glow.

“This is real, Varian.  _ I _ am real. I’m going to take everything you’ve ever loved from you. When I’m done, there will be nothing left but the two of us, and the smoldering remains of Corona. I’m giving you one last chance to join me.”

“No! I’ll never be like you!”

“Oh, poor Varian. You  _ are _ me.”

Varian once again found himself upright in his bed, unable to breathe. His heart beat erratically in his chest. The clothes he’d put on the night before clung to his cold, damp skin. Birds could be heard chirping out the window. He swept his eyes over the room, the sunlight shining in making everything visible. In the corner he spotted something covered in a white sheet.

Closing his eyes, he recalled vividly the horror his mind had crafted for him as he slept. He steeled his gaze on the sheet, determination setting in. Varian practically leapt out of his bed and bound over to the covered object. His composure wavered as he stood before it. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and ripped the sheet away. It was left forgotten at his feet as he stared at the mirror standing before him. Intricate framework and everything, it was the exact same as it had been in his dream. Well, except for one thing.

His reflection was missing.


End file.
